Quarter After
by serpentineinfinity
Summary: [She's lost, listening to that voice. She wants to listen to it all night. All day. And just…how? How is it that she can feel such a strong attraction towards someone who barely even knew she existed before this chance encounter tonight?] Anna's not too thrilled about this New Year's party. But there might be one thing that can turn her night around. One-shot. AU. Elsanna


Anna doesn't know what she's doing here.

Well, she _knows_ what she's doing here—her older brother Hans, star of the high school football team, has decided to throw a New Year's party at the house while their parents are out for the weekend—but now she's beginning to doubt just a little more than his sanity.

Like why she's still here.

Why she's pushing a red cup around the counter instead of bringing herself to drink its contents. Why she's sitting alone in the kitchen, while music blares in the living room, their mother's favorite porcelain lamp is most likely teetering dangerously close to the edge of the only table in the room, and an awful lot of shouting, singing, and dancing is to be heard courtesy of the guests. But this 'guest' term, apparently, is to be taken lightly as many of their high school classmates have marched themselves right through the front door without a proper invitation.

Anna sighs.

She's become quite good at this, actually—sighing every moment the minute hand on the clock has moved exactly ten times. She's been keeping track, so she also knows that there's only half an hour left till midnight.

Till next year…

Another sigh.

But this time, Anna's startled. So much so that she nearly jumps. Because while her own sigh has yet to escape her lips, she's fairly certain that she can identify the sound of another terribly bored soul from miles away (even if the music is so loud that she can't hear herself think). And so she turns, then, still not having let out her breath, to find someone behind her who she recognizes all too well…

Aside from being the source of the foreign sigh, the mere presence of the person standing behind her is enough to terrify her even further, because she just so happens to be the girl that Anna's had a crush on the _entire_ three semesters of her first two measly little years of high school. With two more years to go, she'd been positive that she would never catch the attention of the beautiful, blonde senior Elsa Winters. Yet, here she is. With her sparkling blue eyes focused on none other than Anna's own.

Anna lets out her breath then, suddenly, in a rush of air, and then takes in another huge breath because after the realization that _Elsa Winters_ is even looking at her, she also realizes that breathing might be necessary in order to avoid passing out before she gets a chance to talk to her. Though on second thought, maybe she'll let Elsa do the talking. Seeing as her blabbering mouth will only do her in. Or is that weird? Just sitting here and waiting for the blonde to speak? That'll make her seem too expectant. Or antisocial? Well, not quite. But…unfriendly. Yep, that's the adjective she's looking for—it will _definitely_ make her seem cold if she just sits here with a blank look on her face; it'll practically be an invitation for the senior to just walk off in the other direction—

"Hi."

Anna's racing thoughts come to a halt almost instantaneously, but having been so lost in the midst of them, she doesn't really know if the blonde's comment is directed at her, or the other kid who she could have _sworn_ passed through the kitchen to reach his destination of the living room.

"Hi-hi me?" Anna asks tentatively.

Elsa smiles, "Yes, you."

Anna loves that smile, the subtle curve of the lips turned upward on one side. But she can't focus too much on it because she knows she can get lost studying every little detail of the senior's face. So instead, she speaks again; the first words that come to her mind, "Oh, well in that case…hi."

There's a pause then, and the clock over Anna's head ticks once more.

"Mind if I sit down?" Elsa asks.

Anna shakes her head, probably a few more times than necessary, before answering, "No, of course not."

There's plenty of room at the virtually vacant island counter, and with three chairs lined up along this side alone (including Anna's) there's plenty of room for the blonde, who slides easily into the seat next to Anna. And in the small amount of time that it takes for Elsa to situate herself on the seat, Anna becomes ever so increasingly aware of how _loud_ her beating heart sounds—or, hell, how loud her _breathing_ sounds. Because Elsa is now only a foot away from her, the closest Anna's ever been to her, and it's making her a lot more nervous than she ever thought it could.

Taking a breath that she hopes is effective in being both inconspicuous and calming, she brings a hand to the end of one of her two red braids, focusing her attention on the single plait rather than the beautiful girl next to her. Because staring is weird. And Anna's going to do everything in her power to seem normal from this very moment, until Elsa leaves her house.

"So," Elsa speaks again, "Did you have any intentions of drinking that?"

It takes a moment for Anna to realize that the blonde is talking about the red cup that's loosely positioned in her other hand. She's forgotten all about it, so actually she's quite lucky she hasn't spilled it yet.

"Oh," Anna says simply, "Not really."

And if she had any intentions of drinking it before, she certainly doesn't have any now. She knows that at any given moment she can make a fool out of herself sober so alcohol, she's sure, won't do anything in her favor.

"Then I say we get out of here."

Anna does a double take now, staring at the senior with wide eyes and a shocked look on her face. Because did she just say… _we_ …and—

Elsa laughs (which is quite possibly the most wonderful sound the redhead has ever heard) before she says, "God, you make it seem like I'm asking you to leave the country. But clearly, you're having just about as much fun as I am. Isn't there anywhere else around here we can go?"

Anna shrugs, forcing herself to think levelly, "The basement, maybe?"

"Sounds good to me," Elsa says, "Anything's better than this music."

Anna nods, getting up from her chair. The whole idea of this—of Elsa Winters just wanting to spend time with her for no apparent reason at all—is still only beginning to sink in. And it seems to be greatly impeding the time it normally takes for her to answer questions or comments in a socially acceptable timeframe. But she's working on it, one small step at a time, and is proud that she's able to come up with something cohesive before they make it to the basement door: "Yeah, this kind of music really isn't my thing. Hans just plays whatever he wants. Actually, he planned this whole party. I didn't even know about it until this morning."

And while the sentences are short, Anna's message has been clearly delivered. No rambling has ensued, and the redhead gives herself a mental pat on the back. If only she can keep this up for the rest of the night…But she can't get her hopes up, she knows. And not just for her unusually sane manner of speaking, either; she doesn't know how long Elsa plans to stay.

What Anna does know though is that _she_ plans not to waste any second of an opportunity she never thought she'd get before. So she opens the basement door for Elsa, and lets the blonde walk through first, biting back a smile when Elsa adorably, and somewhat shyly, ducks her head in what can only be acknowledgement of Anna's favor. Then in order to finally shut out the obnoxious music, she closes the door behind them, which temporarily leaves them both in the dark because _dammit_! Where is that light switch when she needs it?

Quickly, Anna uses her right hand to feel along the wall for the small switch, and when she finds it she breathes a sigh of relief.

"Well, that's better," Elsa comments jokingly, "I can see again."

Anna only nods, even though she's not sure that the senior can see her. But it doesn't quite matter, because Elsa's already headed down the steps, and Anna's following closely behind her. She tries not to notice how well the jeans that the senior is wearing clearly define the curve of her hips, or how tantalizingly low the back of her shirt is cut—leaving a large portion of her back exposed as her single braid is over her shoulder. But Anna's efforts to look elsewhere go to waste, as her own blue eyes are drawn to the blonde until she joins Elsa at the bottom of the stairs.

Conveniently enough, now that they're on the rug, Anna can let her eyes wander to the newly finished basement. It's actually a sight that she's only been met with a few times before: the fresh coat of white paint on the walls, the French doors that they'd added (with the house positioned on a hill, the back of the basement is level with the backyard), and the new furniture—dark to stand out against the stark white of the walls. The entire basement is lit adequately enough, considering all the problems they'd had with the electric. That had been the cause of all the renovations in the first place. Actually, when considering that fact, having the basement redone has been a hell of an experience, and Anna almost laughs remembering this...

But of course Elsa doesn't know any of this, nor does Anna plan to tell her any of this—why would the blonde ever want to talk about basement renovations?

 _No one does_ , Anna reminds herself. Because she knows that there are _definitely_ other topics to start conversations with, even if at the moment her mind is coming up blank.

"It's nice down here," Elsa says, once again pulling the redhead out of her thoughts, "Comfortable. Kind of cozy, actually. And it definitely blocks out that music, so it's officially my favorite place in your house."

 _I think you'd like my room_ , Anna almost says. But the thoughts that follow it, which consist of 'Elsa' and 'her room'—specifically her _bed_ room—are not ones that her mouth will let her just speak casually ( _innocently_ ) without infiltrating her thoughts with ulterior messages and meanings. So instead she settles for, "I like it too."

"Well I'd hope you would. It's your house after all."

For some reason, although she _knows_ the senior is only joking, she blushes anyway at the silliness of her comment and looks away. And after that, she doesn't quite know what else to say, so she asks something that's been nagging at her ever since Elsa commented about the music.

"So from what you told me, you don't really seem like someone who likes big parties," Anna says, putting all of the pieces together to make what is hopefully the correct assumption, "So what exactly brings you here?"

"Well, as far as parties go, you're absolutely right about that," Elsa answers, "I usually try to avoid them at all costs. But technically, I'm here with Jack."

And Anna swears the world suddenly comes crashing down on her—though her reaction is irrational. What _truthful_ facts has she ever stumbled upon to lead her to the conclusion that the most beautiful girl in the entire school is single? Right now, though, it's all too much for Anna to handle, so she just stands there for a decent minute before echoing, "Jack?"

"Yeah, Jack," Elsa is completely oblivious to Anna's inner turmoil, "I'm sure you've seen him around school. He's a junior. Tall. He loves that blue hoodie that he wears about three days a week."

By Anna's lack of reaction, Elsa assumes that the redhead still has no idea who she's talking about (though in reality, Anna's still too stunned to say anything else), and feels as though she needs to paint such an accurate mental portrait of Jack that she describes every other detail about him. Then she points to the platinum blonde braid that falls over her left shoulder, which confuses Anna ever so slightly, before she says, "And his hair is even whiter than mine. Though I don't quite know how that happened. Guess the gene runs in the family?"

Wait. Runs in the family?

…

Oh.

 _Oh_.

So Jack is…related to Elsa?

"Is he your brother?" Anna asks.

"Cousin," Elsa states simply, "But we look so much alike that most people think we're siblings."

Hearing the confirmation that Elsa and Jack are relatives (and are therefore related to each other in _no other possible way_ besides family), Anna almost feels relieved. But, again, she knows that she can't get her hopes up. Just because Elsa's not here with Jack doesn't mean that no one else in the picture. And she's getting a little ahead of herself anyway, as she normally tends to do—Elsa most likely, like a _hundred_ percent most likely, does not like Anna in the way that Anna likes her…Or maybe ninety nine percent. Because one can never be too sure. Right?

God, she's going to drive herself crazy. And even though she knows that she can dwell on it for another hour, the one and only thing that can shift her attention from one point of focus to another is the very person she keeps thinking about.

"Is that what I think it is?"

The question catches Anna so off guard that she answers with another question, "What?"

"That over there. By the doors," Elsa says, pointing to the far corner of the basement, "You have a piano down here?"

Although Elsa's actions have led Anna to realize that, for about five whole minutes, they haven't left this spot simply because all Anna could remember how to do was panic and be awkward (with a combination like that, walking is completely out of the question), she answers, "Yeah. It was my grandfather's. My mom wanted it down here so that she could play without being bothered by all the commotion. Apparently we're too loud for her or something? Actually, I used to take lessons. But I stopped before I was even in middle school."

Elsa, though listening, seems very interested in the piano.

It's a baby grand, with a sleek black color that gleams because Anna's mother will not let a single speck of dust on its surface. The top is open, revealing the strings, and the ivory keys, though slightly worn with age, are polished to a shine. The piano bench is not the one that came with the piano, also because of age, but it still matches the color of the piano nonetheless.

"Do you play?" Anna asks.

"Yeah," Elsa nods, but then her face seems to contort ever so slightly, her amused expression falling and the corners of her lips suddenly turning downwards.

"What's wrong?" Anna asks hesitantly.

She's not sure if the senior will answer her or not, but is pleasantly surprised when Elsa explains, "I used to take lessons as well. And not just piano, either. Guitar, flute, violin, even singing...And then at the beginning of my senior year—the beginning of this semester—my dad told me that it was time to quit fooling around and focus on my future," instead of looking at Anna, Elsa's gaze falls to the pair of black converse sneakers that she's wearing, "Whatever the hell that's supposed to mean. I told him I wanted to go into music. _That's_ the future that I want. So if I can't focus on that, then…I don't really know what he wants from me."

In a way, it pains Anna to see the senior so distraught. But a small, "I'm sorry," is all she can find to say.

"It's not your fault he's so stubborn," Elsa says, sighing.

And now Anna's really thrown for a loop, because she _really_ doesn't know what to say to that; has no other way to fill the silence that's hanging over them. Unless...

It's a crazy thought, and it might be crossing the line but…

"You could play something," Anna says, taking a small leap of faith that maybe, just _maybe_ , the senior might be up for it. But when Elsa doesn't answer, Anna rushes to explain: "Well, you don't have to. Not if you don't want to. I don't want to pressure you into anything at all. Sorry. I mean, that was probably weird of me to ask. And I didn't mean for it to sound like that, and—"

" _Anna_."

Anna clamps her mouth shut abruptly.

Although no one— _no one_ —has ever before been able to stop Anna's rambling, Elsa's managed to do so in less than a minute. And it's simply because Anna is stunned by how damn _amazing_ it sounds when Elsa says her name…

"Yeah?" Anna's voice is incredibly small.

"Please don't apologize for anything," Elsa says, and Anna swears the senior's voice is even softer than her own, "I'd I actually love to play something."

Anna finds that hearing this makes her smile, "Well then I'd love to hear you play."

Side by side, the two of them walk to the piano, Anna barely able to contain her eagerness. Elsa's lithe form slips easily between the piano and the bench, and she perches on the edge so that her foot can reach the pedals below. Her pale fingers come up to rest on the keys, and they hover there slightly. Anna's not sure if it's because Elsa's hesitating, or merely thinking about what she wants to play, but either way it lasts for only a few seconds before those fingers make contact with the keys. And when the senior plays the first few notes, Anna's unsure, at first, as to what the song is.

But then Elsa surprises her again by starting to sing, and her voice is beautiful—unlike anything that Anna's ever heard before.

The song that Elsa has chosen is one that she's altered slightly. Because instead of its normal, slightly fast-paced rhythm, she's slowed it down. And she's also deviating from the normal notes. But the chords and the melodies and the harmonies mesh together in such a wonderfully unique way with Elsa's precision, and it's clear that she's been working on this for a while.

It's 'Latch' by Disclosure. And…it's Anna's _favorite_ song.

It always has been, even though, now, she likes Elsa's version so much better. Because she's lost, listening to that voice.

She wants to listen to it all night. All day. And just… _how_? How is it that she feel such a strong attraction towards someone who barely even knew she existed before this chance encounter tonight? How is it that such simple little things can make her heart leap, and her head spin? How is it that hearing her sing makes her feel whole and complete, when just yesterday nothing at all seemed to be missing?

When Elsa finishes the song, it takes a moment for her to turn around. But when she does, she speaks again—and her words are far from what Anna could have ever guessed they'd be.

"So, there's something that I need to say, now," Elsa begins, "I didn't know how to say it before, and I guess this kind of helped. Because while I didn't know that you had a piano down here, I _did_ know…that's your favorite song."

Surprised, Anna's eyes widen. But Elsa's not done.

"Anna, even though you think that I might not pay attention, considering how…rarely we interact…there are actually quite a few things about you that I know...Like how you love to read. Or that your favorite color is purple. Or how much you love chocolate, and that sandwiches are your favorite food…" here, Elsa trails off, looking to her hands in her lap, "I mean, maybe it sounds silly that I notice all these things. But the truth is…I've been paying attention for a long time, actually. And I know—I _know_ that you have been, too. So…I guess what I'm trying to say is," Elsa pauses and takes a breath, before bringing her eyes back up to Anna's, which are still as wide as ever, "I think I like you. A lot, actually. And I know, we've never spent much time together. But you're so sweet, and funny, and caring, and just spending time with you tonight has made me realize what I couldn't see before."

Anna is…stunned.

Here she is, all this time, thinking that the senior would never want anything to do with her, has never paid attention to her, has never even glanced her way…

But she's wrong.

She's so _very_ wrong, and she doesn't think she's ever been happier to be wrong in her life.

And she doesn't quite know how to express the overwhelming emotion she feels in words, but she decides that it's okay.

Because although Anna's positively certain that she didn't see it happen, Elsa's now standing in front of her, and it makes abandoning words just the _slightest_ bit easier considering what Anna now feels compelled to do. And frankly, she doesn't know if what she's about to do is something that she _should_ be doing before actually saying something. But hell, Elsa just admitted everything she felt so openly and sat here and played Anna's _favorite_ song…the senior has displayed quite enough courage tonight that Anna's sure she can find her own surge of confidence somewhere.

It's one look into Elsa's eyes, and then to her slightly parted lips that confirms Anna's plan. And before she can lose her nerve, she leans in and kisses the senior, knowing that, if not better than an explanation, it will definitely get her message across without causing multiple extra questions to arise…But all of that doesn't matter at this point.

Not really, anyway.

Because once she's closed the space between them, she can think of nothing but Elsa. How this is everything she's ever wanted, and dreamed of, and somehow, with some twist of fate, it's all happening the way she's never let herself believe it could before.

Elsa's arms are around her waist, now, pulling her in closer. And there are seemingly so many fireworks exploding within her from this foreign yet _intoxicating_ feeling that she completely misses the fact that there are actually _real_ fireworks going off outside, down the street, in her neighborhood, and also quite possibly in her very own backyard…

It's when they finally separate, though, that Anna's ears become fine-tuned to the commotion to be heard nearly every other second, and, automatically, as if they've come to the same realization at the same time, both Anna and Elsa turn their heads towards the door where they're met with the sight of fireworks lighting the sky in all different colors. And for some reason, this makes Anna laugh.

"What?" Elsa asks, a smile coming to her lips.

"I just…I completely forgot that it was New Year's and…well…" Anna's voice grows a little smaller before the confession that she knows will follow, "I've always kind of wanted to have a New Year's kiss."

At Anna's words, Elsa's gaze shifts to the digital clock by the television on the opposite side of the room. She gives the redhead small smile before saying, "Well, almost. Considering it's already a quarter after."

Anna looks to the clock as well, taking in the soft, light green glow of the numbers reading 12:15. And even though she's not entirely sure how time has flown by so quickly, fifteen little minutes doesn't make much of a difference. At least, not when she's standing in front of the most gorgeous, unique, and wonderful girl, who just so happens to like Anna just as much as Anna's always liked her.

And so Anna returns the smile, full of hope for where this new year will lead them both as she answers, "It's certainly close enough for me."

* * *

 **A/n:** I was debating on whether or not I wanted to post this. I started writing it a while back, well before I started writing _The Perfect Distance_. It was half finished, and I rediscovered it as I was going back through the files on my computer before I took it in for repair. So...I decided to finish it. It was actually kind of nice to write something completely different than what I've been focusing on.

But anyways, I hope you all enjoyed it, and thanks for reading!


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